PBH PLANTS PLANS FOR 5 A DAY TO BRANCH OUT

RALPH RAIOLA

ORLANDO, Fla. -- If the Produce for Better Health Foundation, Newark, Del., has its way, 75% of supermarket chains will have some type of 5 a Day program in their stores by the year 2000, said Elizabeth Pivonka, PBH president, during a session at the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association's convention here.

"We probably have that amount of supermarkets who have been involved in 5 a Day, but we'd like to pick up the pace with those retailers, have them do a little bit more intensive activities, more involvement," Pivonka said during a workshop titled, "5 a Day -- Vision 2000."

Lorelei DiSogra, director of health and nutrition for Dole Food Co., Westlake Village, Calif., said she is optimistic about the part retailers are playing in promoting 5 a Day.

"Almost five years ago, Dole Foods began its supermarket tours program," DiSogra said. "We train retailers every single year." In 1996, several chains worked with Dole to offer tours to children, including Supervalu divisions in Illinois and Pennsylvania; Piggly Wiggly in South Carolina; Associated Grocers in Missouri; Kroger in Michigan; and Nash Finch in Iowa.

For the 1996-97 school year, she expects between 2.5 million and 3 million children will go on 5 a Day supermarket tours.

During the next couple of months, Dole will be bringing supermarket tours to Nash Finch in Wisconsin; Smitty's in Phoenix; Kroger Co. in Houston; and Acme in Philadelphia.

DiSogra pointed out Horace Hamilton, produce merchandiser for Kroger Co.'s Atlanta division, as a model for other retailers on how to run a solid 5 a Day program of outreach to kids.

"He's had more than 200,000 children to classroom tours in the three years he's been involved," she said.

"That just shows you what can happen when a retailer makes that kind of commitment. Every retailer in the United States can do what Horace Hamilton and Kroger in Atlanta do."